Not Gone Yet
by AmberNiK
Summary: What if Sookie had looked at the package Bobby brought her in Dead and Gone? This is the story of what might have happened if she had looked at the knife before giving it to Eric.
1. The Package

What if Sookie had looked at the package Bobby brought her in Dead and Gone? This is the story of what might have happened if she had looked at the knife before giving it to Eric.

**I do not own Southern Vampire series or any of its characters. Charlaine Harris holds the rights to them, I just like to come up with alternative scenarios.**

_Dead and Gone recap/summary of the conversation between Bobby and Sookie outside of Merlotte's:_

"_Here" Bobby said, "Eric said you would need this." He handed me a bundle wrapped in black velvet and tied with a gold cord._

"_And what would this be?"_

"_I don't know I wasn't tasked with opening it."_

"_What am I supposed to do with this?" I said._

"_Eric said, 'tell her to give it to me tonight, in front of Victor.'"_

"_All right," I said reluctantly. "Consider me messaged."_

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Bobby left and I looked down at the package. Well Bobby might not feel the need to open it, but I was certainly not going all the way to Shreveport, just to re-give Eric something he had delivered to me for Victor to see, without knowing exactly what I was giving. So I pulled the gold cord and opened the bundle.

Inside the black velvet sat an ancient looking knife. Something looked familiar about it, but it took me a moment to place it. _Jesus Christ Sheppard of Judea! _Ithought. The knife from Rhodes. But why does he want me to make a show of giving this back to him. I'd have to think on it for a while to figure out what this was supposed to mean.

I went back to work finishing everything I had to do at Merlotte's. I thought about what the significance of the knife was any time I had some down time to think, but couldn't figure out any logical explanation other than that it was used for weddings. Surely Eric wasn't trying to marry me, was he? He never does anything without a reason, so I knew it meant something.

By the time I finally got in my car to make my way to _Fangtasia _I still could come up with no other logical explanation beyond this was the marriage knife. As I got closer I could feel myself getting happier and it was getting harder for me to care at all about the knife. _Damn blood bond! _

I got to the door and Pam came around the podium to greet me.

"Sookie, so nice to see you" she greeted giving me a hug. "Did you bring the package?"

"Yes, I did. What exactly is the meaning of this?"

"So you looked to see what was in it I take it" she responded. "The 'meaning of this' is to cover your ass, and don't ever doubt that."

"Pam, this is used for vampire marriages" I took a deep breath. "Is this some kind of marriage proposal?"

"Never you mind. Just go into his office and offer him the package. And don't just toss it around like some Wal-Mart bag either." She pushed me back toward his office and returned to her position at the podium.

I am happy to say that even though it was hard for me not to just do what Eric wanted, because the blood bond definitely made it hard for me to feel suspicious of him, I didn't just give in that easily. I did walk straight back to his office. Pam didn't follow me. I suppose because she was irritated that I didn't just blindly do as they asked. I knew there was a reason to this, but I didn't know what it was and I wasn't just going to go along with this without some sort of explanation. I knocked on his door and heard him answer with a quiet 'come in'. When I entered his office and saw the look of anticipation on his face I couldn't help but fume. He had every expectation that I would just do as he said without question. I lost all thought of being rational.

After a flash of confusion in his eyes at my mood, it was immediately placed with a serene calm. He was trying to push the calm through the bond. I couldn't tell if he was trying to influence me or simply prevent a scene, but that didn't stop me from being angry at his cocky, high-handed attitude. The calm he tried to force just made me angrier.

"What exactly is this supposed to be?" I asked throwing my hand up to demonstrate the black bundle I held.

"I don't know Sookie, why don't you give it here for me to see" he stated in the most tranquil voice he could muster. He then gave me a pleasant smile and held out his hands.

"Don't play stupid with me. I don't know what you are playing, at but you can't just order me around, summon me here, and trick me into anything you want. You owe me an explanation!" To this point I hadn't even acknowledged Victor Madden sitting on the couch, but as soon as he cleared his throat Eric and I both snapped our heads toward him to see the smirk on his face.

"I apologize for my outburst" I told him nodding my head. "Good evening, sir," I acknowledged, then went back to glaring at Eric.

"Miss Stackhouse, you are looking radiant as always" Victor said smiling back and forth between Eric and me, and apparently ignoring my irritation. "Why don't you open the package and show us contents."

I pulled the cord once again and pulled out the knife, holding it up with my other hand. "Exactly what do you mean by asking me to come all the way out here after running the bar all day, just to 'bestow' this upon you?" I asked Eric. He was now making no attempt to hide his irritation with me. Unfortunately, he still wouldn't answer me at all. He just sat in his chair and glared at me.

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, I can only guess the Sheriff's plan was to have you pledged to him so that the matter we are here to discuss tonight could simply be taken off the table." I decided to take a seat in one of the chairs and motioned for him to continue. "The tiger has asked for an audience with you, and is seeking permission to enter Area 5 to do so."

"What does he want to talk to me about?" I asked. I broke up with Quinn the day after the takeover of Louisiana by the Nevada vamps, for his part in the plot. We didn't part on the best of terms, to say the least. I didn't particularly want to rehash things, I preferred to evade serious discussions, such as the one he certainly wants to have. But I have felt badly about the way I treated him, and have second guessed myself quite frequently about my decision to end things. Perhaps now was the time to pull up my big girl pants and act like an adult about it, if I really wanted to be taken seriously.

"I don't believe I asked him" Victor said smiling to me indulgently. "De Castro simply asked me to personally relay the message that Quinn would like permission to speak with you, he didn't give me the details of the topic." Eric had had enough of his silent brooding. He stood up abruptly, slamming his hands on the desk.

"Victor, this is my area and she is my bonded. He has no reason to speak with her. She dismissed him, he told me so himself." Eric was not happy this wasn't going the way he wanted.

I had a flash of regret for not giving him the knife as he instructed. It was possible that he had deeper plans that simply to keep me away from Quinn. But if I was ever going to stand up for myself and show him that I am not some simpleton that he can always get his way with, I had to start thinking for myself.

"Why don't we let Miss Stackhouse tell us how she feels, Sheriff" Victor told Eric pleasantly turning to me for my opinion. Eric sat back down slowly and waited to hear what I was going to say.

"I'll talk to him." I decided on the spot.

"Excellent" Victor purred. "I will tell De Castro. I'm sure Quinn will be delighted." With that he stood, said his goodbyes and made his exit. He took the knife with him to return to its rightful owner.

When Eric was sure Madden was out of hearing range he stood up, leaning over his desk, and started in on me. "_What the hell Sookie!_ Do you have any idea what Victor and Felipe may do now that they think I have no say in what you choose to do?" Eric shouted. "Felipe De Castro would like nothing more than to have you for his own personal telepath. He would love to move you up to Nevada right along with Quinn and have you both all to himself." He took a long unnecessary breathe. "And when I try to prevent this, by giving them need to go through me first, what do you do? You defy me!"

"Well, shit." It was the only thing I could think of to say. I had no defense to that, so there was no need to try. I also began to realize how badly this must be for Quinn if he was still being held in Nevada as payment for his mother's mess.

"That's right, 'well shit'! Now what are you going to do Ms. Independent?" he said plopping back down in his chair. I didn't know if that was a rhetorical question or not so I didn't respond immediately, but Eric kept looking at me expectantly so I figured I should just be honest.

"Well right now I am going to go home and go to sleep. After that I'm going to continue running the bar for Sam until he gets back. I am meeting with Quinn since I already agreed, then I guess I'll have to figure something out."

"Where is Sam? Clancy told me the reveal went well in Bon Temps." I guess he decided to drop the topic of Quinn and Nevada. That was just fine with me.

"It did. But it didn't go so well for Sam's mom back home. Her husband shot her. So he's gone to take care of her and left me in charge." I was tired and ready to get to bed. I had to go back in the bar in the morning to get it ready to open and it was already going to be after 10 before I got home.

"Well I did everything I could. I had a vampire to cover every public place in my area. I personally went to the casino here in Shreveport to cover for Alcide."

"Did everything go ok there?"

"Yes only a couple people were any cause for concern. One woman even offered herself to Alcide in his wolf form." I shook my head.

"I am tired Eric, I'm going home" I told him standing up.

"Very well, but we will talk more about this, and soon." I just sighed. I hated it when he said that. I told him goodbye and Pam escorted me to my car.

"Well you have certainly outdone yourself this time haven't you?" she smirked at me. At least one person was amused.

"Yeah, Pam, I guess I have. I'll see you soon." I didn't wait for her to respond. I got in my car and drove away.

The drive home was long and uneventful. I had plenty of time to worry, but I was just too tired to make myself care about what the Nevada vamps were planning against me at the moment. I idly tried to formulate some kind of plan to prevent their attempted _acquisition_ of me. Maybe I could talk to Niall and ask him for his opinion. He had been around enough to have some good advice on how to deal with vamp politics. Yeah. When I get up in the morning I'll call him first thing. Maybe he can meet me and help me figure out how to regain control of my life. I was definitely tired of being the human that the vamps love to order around.

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A/N: Let me know what you think. If I continue this story it would follow the book Dead and Gone through the Fairy War.


	2. In Nevada

I don't know how many of these Quinn point of view chapters I'll be writing. I just feel like everyone needs a little insight into his perspective, or at least what I see as his perspective. I hope everyone can see that he really isn't a bad guy, he just didn't have a lot of foresight where relationships are concerned.

**Charlaine Harris owns Southern Vampire Mysteries, not me.**

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QPOV

It was late afternoon and I was sitting in my room working remotely, replying to emails and trying to arrange some of the staffing for the upcoming events for E(E)E. I was still being forced to stay with De Castro as payment for his help with cleaning up after my mom. He claimed he wanted me to stay as his guard until Louisiana was definitely secure and he felt 'confident in his control over the newly acquired state'. I, however, thought he was simply holding me under these terms until he could come up with a better reason. He had no intention of releasing me from my debt any time soon. Every so often he would mention that as an alternative payment I could fight in the pits for only six months and be done, but I had no desire to go back there. I already had to deal with the time I spent there when I was younger, my conscience couldn't handle killing any more, especially now that most everyone I fought would be so much younger.

Since he wouldn't allow me to leave the premises for more than a day or two at a time I had to work on maintaining my events business almost completely from my phone and computer. I missed traveling and setting up for events sometimes, but in all honesty I had intended on lightening my load when it came to being at the events anyway. I was just trying to find a reliable staff I could count on to keep everything up to my standards first. Unfortunately, I had to make do with what staff I had left, since I lost several staff members at Rhodes and had yet to find replacements before my mother had gone missing. Frannie was really being a great help with the company now though, filling in where I needed her and making sure everything lived up to my expectations. I had hoped before Rhodes that I could work out an arrangement like this so I could spend more time with Sookie, but that was before the takeover.

Then I had hoped Sookie and I could work things out the day after the takeover. I felt like she would be able to understand how important it was that I take care of my family. But as soon as she told me her point of view I immediately understood where she was coming from. I just couldn't let myself admit that to her at the time. I knew I should have somehow warned her before that night. I should have sent her a message somehow, something to tell her where I was and what was going on. I should have learned my lesson after she found out about my past from someone else at Rhodes. Sookie had been especially forgiving that I hadn't warned her before then about my past; but, yet again, I didn't warn her when my mom got in trouble just a couple weeks later. If I had she might not have ended things with me. But I didn't factor in that Eric might lead us right to her door, and I had no choice but follow even when I realized where he was headed. Hell, if I hadn't, they would have killed Frannie just to prove a point to me.

Now, all I could do was hope that Sookie agreed to talk to me. That we could come to understand each others point of view. The chemistry between us was undeniable. If we could get past this and could both learn from it, maybe there would be hope for us. She is the only woman I've ever been with that I felt connected to in any way. We had both been through a lot and could relate to each other. I just hope we could get that back.

Apparently I had been thinking longer than I was aware, because there was a knock on the door to my suite that startled me back to reality. I walked through the suite and could smell it was a vampire. They had already risen for the night.

"Hello?" I said opening the door. It was Rasul, the same vampire that helped me and Sookie when we were kidnapped in New Orleans.

"Good evening. The king wishes to have an audience with you before tonight's business begins. I was asked to escort you down to him." I asked him to wait while I changed into some nice khakis and a navy polo. I knew this was about my request to talk to Sookie. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Eric didn't try to pull something to keep me from coming to talk to her. It amazed me how jealous he was of anyone that came near Sookie, even when he wasn't dating her.

I got to the door of De Castro's office and knocked.

"Quinn" the king acknowledged looking up from his computer. "Please sit down" he motioned for me to sit. "I have heard from Victor regarding your request for entry into Louisiana area 5." He paused loving how anxious I was. I motioned for him to continue and he gave me a little smirk. _Bastard._

"You have been granted formal permission to enter the area for the explicit purpose of speaking with Ms. Stackhouse. I will grant you leave when we are done with tonight's business. I am giving you a week to accomplish whatever it is you are attempting." He leaned back in his chair, as if he were waiting for my heartfelt thanks. Unfortunately for him, he would be getting no such thing. He was practically holding me prisoner, using my family as blackmail.

"This is the longest I have permitted you to leave the premises, Quinn. Do not betray this act of trust. And I expect to be informed of any and all developments, while you are out of my state. Ms. Stackhouse is under my protection, therefore anything and everything involving either, or both, of you" he said raising his eyebrows "is to be reported to me." If he thought I was going to confide all the intimate details of my relationship with Sookie to him, he better think again. Still I nodded my head and he continued giving me a rundown of the agenda for the nights business.

He had something up his sleeve if he was allowing me to be away for so long, wanting nothing more than to know how Sookie and I were getting along. _Hm, better watch my back._


	3. Lie Detector

**Sorry guys for the short chapter. I know some of you have been waiting a long time for this chapter, and even though I debated and tried to work out how to fix it so this chapter was longer and encompassed more, I just felt like this was the most logical way for it to flow. Most of the events in the first of this chapter parallel _Dead and Gone_ so rather than go into detail I quickly recapped. All characters, the events and storyline of _Dead and Gone_ belong to Charlaine Harris, I am simply providing an alternative plot.**

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I hardly slept at all when I got home. Though I was exhausted, I just couldn't clear my head enough to drift off to sleep. I thought about my time with Eric when he had lost his memory and how uncomplicated things were for that brief time. Then I thought about my relationship with Quinn. Comparing the two, I couldn't help but think of how different they were, especially when compared to Bill. I tossed and turned most of the night rehashing the men in my life until the wee hours of the morning when sleep finally took me.

The next morning I didn't have a chance to call Niall. Sam called me first thing in the morning to give me an update on his mom. After hanging up with him and getting ready, I thought I'd be able to call my great- grandfather, but life had other plans. The FBI showed up at my door to question me about the incident at Rhodes. Then while they were still at the house I got a call from Merlotte's telling me Crystal, my sister in law had been murdered and she was dead in the parking lot. She had been crucified. By the time I realized I wouldn't be opening the bar at all that day I had been waiting in the parking lot for hours. I decided to go home and call Niall and spent a little time with Octavia. I left Niall a message on his answering service telling him I'd like to speak with him and after a couple hours in the company of my older witchy roommate, I decided I'd go see Eric. We talked for quite a while about various things, barely even mentioning the incident with the knife. When we did broach the subject he confirmed some of my worst suspicions about De Castro. I was definitely going to need a plan if I intended to stay here in Louisiana and maintain my independence.

"De Castro wants nothing more than to have you standing opposite Quinn for his business dealings every night. His protector and lie detector." Eric told me somewhat sadly. Whether or not what he was trying to do with the knife was for his own benefit or not (and I was sure it was to some extent) he was also doing it to keep me where I want to be. And for that I felt I owed him for being so stubborn about refusing it.

"But he promised me his protection when I killed Sigebiert. Why would he try to force me to go to Nevada?" I sounded whiny even to myself.

"Yes, he did offer you protection. And he would love to protect you from right by his side, as you serve as his personal lie detector for all of his non-vamp business matters." And with that the subject was closed. We sat together lost in our thoughts for some time before I finally said my goodnights and Eric saw me out. He leaned over to give me a kiss at the door. 'Please be careful' he said and then turned and walked back to his office.

I hoped I could talk to Niall before Quinn came. Not because I suspected Quinn would ever want to harm me or even intentionally plot against me, but in the end he is still under Nevada's control. If they allowed him to come, I was sure he was part of whatever plot they were formulating concerning me, whether he knew it or not. Until I come up with a plan, I didn't see how talking to Quinn could end any way but badly.

When I got home I changed into some pajamas before searching the refrigerator for something to eat. I settled on a container of yogurt and made a sandwich to go with it and noticed the light blinking on the answering machine while I sat in the quiet of my kitchen eating. It was Niall returning my call, so I decided to try him again tonight before I went to bed. Luckily I he answered after the second ring.

"Dear one, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" was his greeting. I told him all about my problem as well as Eric's feelings on the subject. He was more than happy that I wasn't so easily tricked into being pledged to a vampire even if 'Eric has proven himself honorable as your protector'. We both knew that was as close to a compliment as Niall was going to get; and I think Eric would have been proud to hear a comment from Niall as close to a compliment as that about him. After he thought out loud for several minutes regarding possibilities and what ifs (much of which I didn't understand) he informed me he would think on it and get back to me with a solution.

"Granddaughter, I also needed to warn you to be careful in regards to our people." He stated out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry? What do you mean Niall?"

"Just be on the watch for strangers, and if a fairy that is not Claudine, Claude or me approaches you, run in the opposite direction. Especially if the fairy looks like your brother." He was scaring me. I knew for a fact that if I were being pursued by a fairy I wouldn't stand a chance against them. I had seen Claudine in action.

"Grandfather, is there some kind of trouble?" I asked hoping to get straight to the point.

"Nothing for you to worry about" he answered immediately. "I will take care of everything, and I will get back to you very soon concerning Nevada. I am afraid, however, I must be careful not when visiting you. I may have to pop in without warning so I can be sure not to put you in further danger. Be safe my child."

"Goodnight Niall" I replied before he hung up.

_As if I didn't have enough to worry about,_ I thought sarcastically as I cleaned my dished and headed to my bedroom. I got ready for bed quickly and crawled under my covers.

That night, even though I had a regime of very determined vampires with goals of obtaining me, a weretiger ex about to visit, and my great-grandfather's fairy enemies wanting who knows what from me, I was asleep as soon as my eyes were closed.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is a new chapter. As for why it has been so long, well I have no excuse. I simply lost all inspiration. So when my computer died with the partial chapters on it a couple years ago I decided to give up working on these stories. But here I am, with a new chapter and the next nearly done. For now I am back to writing. I can't promise it will last, but I am going to try to finish this story.

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I woke up the next morning and had just started looking through my cabinets for breakfast when Andy Bellefleur called to tell me I could reopen Merlotte's. By the time I walked into the back door of the restaurant and started a mental to- do list, Sam came walking in.

He gave me a hug, thanking me for everything, and then plopped down into the chair behind his desk. Instead of jumping right into all the things that had to be done I asked how things were. He told me his mother was home now and healing but seemed a little vague in the details. Thinking maybe he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet I didn't pry. I decided to change subject to the restaurant. I showed him the list I made of things that needed his attention and the temporary solution I had worked out with Tanya and Amelia to cover Arlene's shifts. We talked a bit about how business had been while he was away and why we were closed yesterday. Once we talked through Crystal's murder and my visit from the feds I told him about the knife.

"Well good for you Sookie, thinking for yourself for once."

I was slightly offended at the way he said 'for once' but let it slide because he was obviously still stressed about his family situation and I didn't want to start an argument. "I don't know about 'good' Sam. Eric had a good solution to keep me from becoming the newest resident of Felipe's castle. Whether or not it was the best solution I don't know. But I didn't buy in. It's not that I necessarily regret making my own decision; but now, I have to work on my own solution."

"Don't worry Sook, you'll figure it out" he said looking carefully at my list. "Listen, take today off. I can handle it here and you look like you could use a break."

I was going to go straight home, but my car somehow led me to Tara's Togs. One look at me and the first thing she said was "spill." So, I spilt my guts. She was the supportive friend she's always been and helped me put things into perspective. I told her about the takeover and the previous night at Fangtasia and everything else on my mind. I told her why I was upset and disappointed in both Quinn and Eric and my romantic dilemmas with each.

"Sookie, it sounds like you have two guys that really care about you that have both made some poor decisions" Tara pointed out. "The question is which decisions are forgivable and which aren't. Eric brought a hostile vampire takeover to your doorstep and attempted to force you into a vampire marriage of some sort, but it sounds like he is mostly trying to protect you; though he has been as you say 'high-handed' in doing that. Quinn kept things from you, but from what you say only by omission. He never lied or deceived you. So maybe he really did want to tell you about the takeover. He did send his sister."

With everything supernatural going on lately it was good to talk to an outsider. Her perspective really gave me a few things to think about. We spent well over an hour talking about my life and then she told me the news that she and JB were expecting a baby. I tried to reassure her that she would be a great mother since she was so worried. She had a horrible childhood herself, but I could see she was determined to give her child everything she had lived without; especially love.

After we talked, I went home. Pulling up in the driveway I immediately noticed an older Buick parked near the front door. I parked around back and scanned the house mentally as I walked in. Octavia and a large well-dressed man covered in tattoos were toting boxes out of her room.

She stopped like a deer in the headlights when she saw me.

"You're moving out."

I wasn't mad. On the contrary, she was so happy it was contagious. The contentment flowed out of her brain and I could tell whoever this was, he was the person she wanted to be with.

"Sookie, this is Louis. We lost contact with each other during Katrina. He has been looking for me since then and called after you left this morning."

The three of them spent a couple minutes working on the wards surrounding our home once they were done loading Louis' car. Octavia insisted that we couldn't be too careful, after all here was no way to know who killed Crystal or why; and she had been carrying my brother's child. They were gone within an hour of my arrival, but not before Amelia gave them a gift she claimed was from the two of us.

I was happy that it was just me and Amelia again. Amelia was too. No matter how happy she was for Octavia, and she was, what she was really excited about was no longer living under the watchful and constant eye of her mentor. The tension that had existed in the house seemed to leave out the same door Octavia did. It felt like it had before she came into our home again.

We made a late lunch and ate while we talked about Crystal's murder. Amelia was helping with the dinner rush at the bar, so she got dressed and left around 3. The day was so nice and warm that I decided to spend a little time working on the flower beds. I got dressed in a tank top so I could get a little sun and headed outside. I got my grandma's garden trowel out of the shed and got to work. I didn't enjoy gardening nearly as much as my Gran had, and the flower beds reflected their need for attention.

I had been working for a while and had a light sweat and visible improvement to the flower bed to show for my efforts when I heard a bit of gravel crunch behind me. I paused for just long enough to hear the whispered words "I will enjoy killing you" from just over my shoulder. I whirled around stabbing the trowel upward without a second thought.

I had never seen a knife slide into someone as easily as that old trowel slid into his stomach. I jumped back into a crouch and watched his face, waiting for his attack, but he just looked down at the blood seeping out of his abdomen then up at me in surprise several times before he collapsed.

Then, I panicked.

After I was assured by whoever answered his phone that Niall would come immediately I just watched the dead body lie there, half in the flower bed, the other half in the driveway. I never did anything to this man and he had come with every intention of killing me. I couldn't understand it. I barely noticed that Niall had emerged from the forest behind my home before he was standing over the body with another man. Since I was no longer the only sole on my property, I cautiously walked out my back door and joined them. My great-grandfather held an arm out as I approached which I ducked under and leaned against his side. When I finally looked up at him he was smiling. I'm sure I looked perplexed.

"You killed our enemy. You are a credit to our family." He was proud.

His companion, Dillon, couldn't believe it. He said again, as if the three times on the phone were not enough, "she killed a fairy" in wonderment. I noted in his features that he favored Claude and Claudine, though not in hair or eye color, so I guessed this was their father; Niall kept calling him 'son.' Dillon couldn't seem to understand how a simple human could defeat someone as powerful as a fairy.

Niall on the other hand, asked "how did you do it?" rather than balk at me. I explained as I showed him my trowel that he had snuck up on me but I got lucky and stabbed backward when I heard him. If he hadn't spoken he might have gotten a lot more enjoyment out of the afternoon. After consoling me about killing this family enemy they left, warning me again to be careful. They said he was not the only one, and left me to hose the fairy dust that used to be Murray into my lawn. I was going to have to call Claudine; after all she was my fairy godmother, hopefully she could give me some guidance.

I went back inside to clean my grandmother's trowel and then change out of my blood spattered shirt. I scrubbed the trowel three times before I gave up and left it next to the sink. I wasn't sure it would ever be clean enough for me again. I went to my bedroom to put on a new shirt, but while I was standing in front of my dresser I eyed my bathroom. I decided to shower off the horrible feeling that was still in the pit of my stomach. I stayed in the shower for a long time; just letting the water wash away the last couple days stress from my body. I was finally getting out of the shower, pruney, but in slightly better spirits, when I heard the phone ringing. I threw on my robe and ran to the kitchen to answer it.

"Sookie!" exclaimed Claudine as soon as I said 'hello.' "Grandfather told me what happened. I am just getting off work, can I pop in a little later?" I could hear the concern in her voice. After I assured her I would love the company and told her she should stay for dinner, and accepted her profuse apologies that she couldn't get here when Niall did, I hung up.

I dressed quickly in pajama pants and a tank top and wrapped my hair in a towel. I knew I only had a little while before she would get here so I needed to hurry. I started looking for something to cook for dinner. If she had been at work all day, she probably had to get her lunch from the mall's food court so I knew she would appreciate a good meal. And since Amelia would want something to eat after her shift at Merlotte's, and possibly Tray as well, I needed to make plenty. Since the only meat that I had defrosted was a family pack of chicken breasts I decided on chicken and waffles.

I had just put the second batch of fried chicken in my dutch oven when I heard the crunch of a car on gravel driving around the side of the house. It seemed too soon for it to be Claudine since she hadn't even gotten home to change from work when she called. I kind of assumed she would 'pop' over anyway. At least it was someone I knew if they had come around back. I hurriedly pulled the third waffle out of the waffle maker and checked the chicken in the oil so I could get the door. It wasn't quite ready to turn yet.

As I walked to the door I mentally scanned who was walking up the steps to the back porch. Quinn. I was suddenly self-conscious of my attire. I knew he could hear me in the kitchen; after all, all supes had exceptional hearing, so there wasn't time to run to my bedroom and change. I pulled back the curtain, and looked through the glass. I looked out and just as I thought, I was eye to eye, or more accurately eye to chest, with my ex-boyfriend, Quinn. I took a deep breath and opened the door.


	5. Talks

Ok, here is the next chapter. Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be able to continue at this rate. Oh, and happy valentines day!

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"Hi, Sookie" he said a little hesitantly as I opened the door. He wasn't sure why I was surprised about seeing him. The truth was I should have been expecting him; after all, it was too late the night I agreed to talk to him for him to get the message, so he would have found out last night. And since his truck was parked in the driveway he had probably been driving all night if he got here so soon. Unfortunately, with everything that happened since I was at Fangtasia, his visit hadn't been on my mind.

"I didn't expect you would come so soon. You really should have called." I pointed out. Ok. So I was a little grumpy. After the day I had I felt I had the right to be.

"Well, De Castro told me early last night, so I figured, 'no reason to put it off' right?" He shrugged. He was still standing on the outside of the doorway since I hadn't moved to let him in. I was in the middle of cooking dinner and could hear the chicken crackling in the pan, so I motioned for him to come inside and went back to the stove without a word. I poured more batter into the waffle maker and closed it before I spoke.

"I thought we pretty much said all there was to say the morning after the takeover" I said without turning back to look at him. "So, what is this visit all about?" He was cool as a cucumber in spite of my less than hospitable reception. He leaned against the opposite counter completely undeterred.

"You said all you wanted to say. You didn't exactly give me the chance" he started.

"Quinn-" I interjected.

"Before you interrupt" he said raising his voice just slightly "I'm glad you didn't give me the chance; I only would have screwed it up. You gave me a lot of time to think about all the things I did wrong." He paused to sit down. "Listen Sookie, I know you said you were done with me. And I understand why now. What I did to you- kept from you- was wrong. But I would really like the chance to explain, and especially apologize for the takeover and everything else I kept from you. All I'm asking right now is for you to hear me out and hopefully forgive me. Then I would love to actually earn your trust if you'll let me."

I took a deep breath. He seemed to genuinely want to make things right and while I wanted to hear him out this was not a good time. Then, I suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that was completely unrelated to Quinn. I looked out onto the lawn and noticed it was almost completely dark. Looking closer, I thought I saw a movement just beyond the tree line. I kept my eyes on that spot for several seconds but didn't see it again. 'Must be Bill' I thought, trying to dismiss the uneasy feeling. I pulled the chicken out of the oil and started another waffle before replying.

"Quinn, I have company that will be here any minute. And I honestly just can't deal with this right now. I know I didn't give you much slack. I'd love to hear you out but ultimately I meant what I said. So what's changed with your personal situation? Can your mom care for herself or is your sister able to care for her? Has your sister grown up enough that you don't have to constantly watch her?"

"Babe, why are you so hard on me? You can't honestly tell me that you wouldn't help Jason if he needed it. So why do I have to abandon my family if I want to be with you? Frannie has grown up a lot, but no my mom still can't care for herself. And if something happened to one of them, then of course I will always help them. But I have learned my lesson. I would never keep anything that happened from you."

"Can we please just put off this conversation until like tomorrow or the next day?" I asked knowing he wouldn't give up until he felt like we had resolved things. And he had a point. I couldn't argue that I did everything I could to find Jason when he was kidnapped and would do it again if I had to. I didn't have a lot of family, so those I had, were very important to me. That included Jason, in spite of the disagreements we had.

"No. I'm sorry but this can't wait."

I took a calming breath as the phone began to ring. I gave him a pleading look and went over to pick it up.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey Sookie, Claude is coming with me. We want to inspect your witches' wards. Be there in just a minute" answered Claudine, then she hung up before I could stop her. I turned around quickly to face Quinn.

"You've have to go. I'm sorry but my company is on the way. You can come back in the morning or –"

"I'm sorry Sookie, but I can't leave here again with things between us the way they are. You agreed to talk to me so I want to actually talk."

"Quinn, this isn't some fun get together dinner I have planned. You have no idea how bad your timing is in insisting on talking right now. I have things that are much more pressing than you and my relationship, or lack thereof, which I need to discuss with Cl- er… my company. You can't be involved in this."

"I have a very good idea about my timing. I smelled several fairies' scents in your yard, and not all of them were alive. Fairies dueling in your yard doesn't mean anything good under any circumstances. And since I have been caught in the middle of a couple of the other problems that you seem to find, no offense, I can guess that you could use back-up whether you are willing to ask for it or not." I was tired of trying to reason with him and if I thought I had a chance I would have pushed him chair and all right out of the back door. But before I think about it another second I heard a 'pop'.

Claudine and Claude appeared in the kitchen doorway. They both looked confused, but Claude quickly shrugged it off when he smelled dinner and saw the pile of chicken and the waffles stacked on the counter. That reminded me that the last waffle was probably ready to pull off the waffle iron.

"Hey," I said giving them both a hug as they walked closer. They both gave me an awkward kiss on the cheek as they continued to glance at Quinn. Claude walked over to grab a plate as soon as I said to 'help yourself' and gestured to the food.

Claudine said quietly in my ear "We can't talk about this with him here" glancing over at Quinn.

"Yeah, Quinn dropped in unexpectedly" I explained, 'crazy Sookie' smile plastered on my face. Although the exchange with Claudine was quiet, we weren't whispering, so it was definitely loud enough for him to hear.

Claude turned around with a plate full of food and decided to step in. "Listen Tiger," he said "we've got family business to take care of. We need you to get out of here." He waited, staring Quinn down, waiting for acknowledgement. Quinn gave him a conceding nod. That was all Claude needed. He sat down and started pouring on the maple syrup.

Quinn got up and walked over to me. Quietly he said "I'm not leaving here until we talk, but I guess I could stretch my legs after the long drive I've had. I'll go for a run if that's out of the way enough for you."

"I appreciate it, Quinn" I said graciously, accepting the negotiation he was willing to give. He gave me a small smile and walked back out the back door without another word.

Claudine grabbed a plate and sat down humming a little as she took her first bite. After the day I had had I wasn't quite ready to eat a full meal, even if it was calming to cook it. Claudine and Claude explained the problems between the fairies and how Niall fit in as they ate. They explained why I was in danger and we talked about how I killed Murray. Claudine ate ravenously between talking. She was really hungry.

After they finished a hurried dinner they quickly used their magic to add to the wards on the house and instructed me not to go anywhere without a guard. I assured them that Tray would be here tonight and I would ask him to drive me to work and pick me up tomorrow; but as they were leaving (Claudine with her to go plate, since she didn't want to stay for seconds), Amelia texted me that she was going to stay at Trays for the night. I was arguing that I would be fine and would not step foot out of my house without a guard when the back door opened.

"I'll stay" said Quinn from the open doorway. He had heard the last of our conversation as he was walking up the steps to the porch.

"Good, let's go home" Claude said to Claudine before I could get in a 'hell no!'. I tried to protest, but Claude just gave me a hug and a kiss with a satisfied smile on his face and stepped aside, completely ignoring my irritation.

"You guard her with your life, or I will end yours" Claudine said to Quinn with an expression that said she would make him pay if I was harmed. I decided not to argue. The last thing I wanted was to have Quinn here as my guard, but I didn't want to continue to argue with her about it either. She seemed like she was exhausted and just wanted to get home. If thinking he would be here with me would put her at ease I could figure something else out once she left.

"I have to work again tomorrow but call if you need me" she told me. "If I don't answer, call Claude; he'll help you" she told me. Then she looked over at Claude with that same fierce look she gave Quinn just a moment earlier. "Won't you?" she said, more of a threat than a question.

"Of course." He said smiling at her innocently.

She gave him a small appreciative smile then turned back to me and gave me a hard hug, a quick kiss and an order to keep out of trouble. Then they were gone.

That just left Quinn and me.

"Family business huh?" Quinn said walking in and shutting the door. "So, how are you related to the Crane twins?"

I gave him the hardest look I could muster and I shoved a plate at him without a word. He had made the connection between the fairy scents on my property and Claude's comment and realized that I was part fae if I was related to the twins. So he gathered that the reason Claudine was worried about me must be that Breandon's fairies were targeting me. I just hoped he didn't realize how I was related to them. I had hoped not to get him involved at all. It was dangerous enough for me without involving other people I knew. Fairies could be vicious.

I silently grabbed a plate myself. It wouldn't do me any good to starve myself.

"Quinn I guess this goes without saying, but please don't say anything to anyone about what you've heard, ok?" I knew I could trust him with my secrets even if he didn't trust me with his. I pulled out a couple glasses and poured us both a glass of tea.

"Of course" he said without hesitation, and then decided to continue with our earlier conversation. "Listen, I'm really sorry about the way things happened with the takeover and the problems it caused you. I am especially sorry about the threats to you and your home, even if I wasn't the one making them. But you have to understand that I had no way to know the fight would come right to your front door."

"But it did Quinn. And you were on the opposite side from me. And that was the first I had heard from or seen of you since Rhodes." I sat down and took a bite. It was pretty good, and I realized that maybe I was hungrier than I thought.

He hung his head for a minute. "Sookie, would you be able to forgive me if I swear to you that I will never keep anything from you again?"

"Can you be sure you'll be able to keep that promise?" I asked. As sincere as he was at the moment I was worried this was a promise he might not always be able to keep.

He thought about it for a minute.

"Yes" he concluded.

"I don't know if I can forgive you instantly" I said honestly. "Maybe you tried with the takeover. I'm still not sure. But you definitely chose not to tell me about your time in the pits or about your family. That's pretty big Quinn. So, I have to ask again, do you really think you can be honest with me going forward?"

"I really think I can. Maybe I can't tell you every detail of my life the second it happens, but I want you to know. I want you to know me, everything about me, including my past; all the things I've always been scared to tell the people I've dated."

"Then why didn't you tell me before Rhodes. You knew I would find out" I said, gesturing to my head.

"I did. I guess I was so used to keeping my life a secret from the women I date that I didn't know where to start, or when to bring it up. You seemed so out of my league anyway, but with the past I have…" he thought a second before continuing. "But anything you ever want to know, I swear, I'll tell you." He looked at me for several seconds before turning back to his dinner.

"What do you mean 'out of your league?'?" I questioned. "I am a telepathic barmaid in a small town bar in rural Louisiana. I'm not that special."

He chuckled. "You have vampire kings and queens across this country willing to barter, cheat, steal and kill to have you under their reign. And who can blame them. Your beautiful, smart, insightful, brave-" I stopped him before he could continue.

"Ok, ok I get it. You think I'm great. That's just your opinion. I have a town full of people that would be willing to argue that." I said, looking down. I knew what people thought of me. He was definitely in the minority.

"Yeah, the silly humans" he huffed. "Every supernatural man that meets you falls under your spell. You attract the supernatural to you like a moth to a flame, and unite them against enemies in ways I've never seen anyone do before. And you say you aren't that special."

I snorted my disagreement but chose to drop the subject.

We both finished dinner in a contemplative silence. He was waiting patiently for me to answer his pleas for forgiveness and I was debating if I should. When I was done I grabbed our dishes and laid them in the sink. I could do them later. I refilled my tea and sat back down.

"Ok. I'm willing to try. But can we talk more tomorrow? It's been a really long day. Maybe stop by in the morning and I'll fix breakfast?"

"Oh, no" he smiled shaking his head. "You heard Claudine. I am not leaving you here alone. I like all my body parts right where they are."

Well it was worth a try.


	6. Working things out

"Sookie," called Quinn, following me into the living room. I plopped on the couch with a complete lack of grace and looked up at him, resigned. If he wanted to talk I might as well get comfortable. There was no way this would be a short conversation.

"You've had a long day. I can tell I'm-" he started.

"Try week" I grumbled interrupting whatever conversation he was trying to start.

He took a deep breath and decided to try a different tactic. "Would you like to talk about it?" he said sitting beside me expectantly.

"Which part?" I asked sarcastically. "The part where Eric tried to trick me into some kind of vampire pledge thing? Or the prospect of becoming personal telepath to de Castro? Crystal's crucifixion in Merlotte's parking lot? While I was left running the bar, no less. The FBI recruitment team that has come to town for me?" A thought occurred to me then, interrupting my pity party. "I guess I could tell them the truth about me and become the FBI's play toy instead of de Castro's…" but then I realized that wouldn't solve my problems at all. "But even the FBI couldn't protect me from the fairies bent on killing me" I reasoned out loud, resting my head in my hands. "The only reason Murray couldn't come right into my bedroom to attack me in my sleep was the wards Amelia put on the house."

"Murray?" he asked. He was much more interested in hearing about the vampire marriage that Eric tried to trick me into, but could sense that the fairies were what I was most concerned about, so he chose to ask about that first.

"The fairy I killed this afternoon."

"Killed?" he repeated.

"Yes."

"You mean in your yard?"

"Yes. Murray. Who snuck up on me while I was weeding my flower bed, told me he would enjoy killing then, and was then promptly stabbed in the stomach with my garden trowel."

"You're not hurt." He meant it as a question, but it came out as a statement.

"No" I said. He nodded. I was finally getting tired of talking about this, especially when I kept getting the shocked and awed looks. Luckily Quinn was good at picking up hints and decided to change the subject.

"Why was the FBI trying to recruit you?"

"Rhodes" I said simply.

"They found you?" he blanched, knowing that I had used my telepathy to find people buried in the rubble.

"Yeah, Mr. Catalades warned me it was a bad idea; that they would find me if I showed my face at the hospital…" I sighed.

"But you only came to the hospital to see me, right? You weren't hurt?" he asked alarmed.

"No, I wasn't" I admitted.

"So you risked the world finding out about you, possibly costing you your freedom, just so you could check on me?" he asked, though at this point he knew the answer. I just looked him in the eye and nodded, my eyes beginning to water. I really didn't want to be outed as a telepath to the public at large. It had long been one of my greatest fears.

He looked down at his hands, not sure what to say. He felt guilty that he ever questioned whether I cared for him, or that he had assumed I would dump him for Eric when I visited him after he took the arrow for me. He knew people finding out about my telepathy was a fear of mine, so I could only guess he was now realizing how much I cared for him if I knowingly risked that to see him. I could also sense regret flooding his thoughts. Then he silently wondered if I also checked on Eric before leaving Rhodes.

"No, I didn't" I said, answering the question he couldn't work up the courage to ask. He looked up questioningly, wondering how I heard his thoughts when he wasn't trying to direct them to me. He knew I couldn't easily read shifters and I had mentioned to him before that his thoughts tended to be even less discernible than your average were. I pointed to his arm which was barely touching mine. When I was so tired, I tended to forget to use my shields. Thoughts slipped through. I took a couple breaths, closing my eyes to force my self to stay calm.

He thought for a couple more minutes.

"So Eric tried to trick you into pledging to him?" he asked, looking at me once again. "How?"

"He sent his day guy, Bobbie, to deliver a package to me and asked that I go to _Fangtasia_ that night and give it to him in front of Victor." I paused trying to recall exactly what happened. "I was so busy taking care of the bar without Sam; and I really thought the idea of driving all the way to Shreveport to give him something back that he just had delivered to me was ridiculous. So I opened it to see what it was. It was the knife used for the marriage in Rhodes." He looked furious at the idea that Eric had tried to trick me with his knife. "Well I decided to go to _Fangtasia_ to confront him about it. When I asked him what the meaning of it was he asked me to 'give it here for me to see.' Finally, Victor asked me to show him what was in the package, and then told me that you wanted to see me, which must be what Eric was trying to stop."

Quinn thought for a minute. "Babe, why didn't you just give it to him?"

"I don't want to be married to Eric! Even if it were a marriage only recognized by vampires. And for him to not even ask me before trying to pull this" I huffed.

"But you two have a blood bond" he stated as if that made it all okay. "You're together" he said, but then noticed the confusion on my face. "Aren't you?" I shook my head.

"What makes you think that?" I asked looking for the answer in his features.

"You thought that was why I broke up with you" I realized after several seconds.

He nodded sadly.

"It's not" I assured him. "I told you I don't date two men at once. I told you I was with you until you told me otherwise" I said knowing he would remember that conversation. "I meant what I said. I told him no when he asked for my blood after taking a bullet for me, because I was with you. I turned him down before that too because I still hoped you would come back and explain why you hadn't called me." I let that sink in for a minute.

"And since the takeover?" he asked.

"Not that that's any of your business… but no." A beautiful, dimpled smile broke across this face. He had said earlier that he only wanted me to forgive him. He had carefully subdued any hopes he had of us resuming a relationship until he knew I was not dating Eric.

"Obviously, I still want you, or I wouldn't be here" he said. "It makes me happier than you could know that you wanted me too." I stopped him before he could get his hopes up too high.

"Quinn, I did wait for you. But you didn't come. I told you, I understand why you couldn't contact me. And I believe you and Frannie when you say you tried. I still can't do this again unless I know you can give me more than a date a couple times a month. When I said I want to be first, I didn't just mean your mom and sister. Your job ranked ahead of me too. I can't be with someone who can't make time for me." I looked at him resolutely, but then another thought came to mind.

"Plus, your biggest problem with me was the blood bond. That hasn't gone away."

"No, it hasn't" he smiled. "But clearly it doesn't make him irresistible to you, so I can live with that. I thought you wouldn't be able to say no to him. But you have." I nodded. Even when my body screamed for him, I could tell it wasn't just me, but also the bond. I couldn't let myself give in to something I wasn't sure was completely real.

"I haven't been able to work like I was before Rhodes since" he continued. "I've made adjustments so I can do more work remotely. I rarely attend events anymore. Frannie has been a big help with the events on the weekends. She really is growing up. And when she graduates high school this year, she is planning on doing college online so she can work full time. She likes being around Supes and she loves the money."

"So you aren't traveling for work anymore?"

"Not often. Maybe a few days a month." Maybe it would be possible to work things out after all. I took a deep breath, trying to absorb that for a moment. I gave him a little smile and turned to find the remote.

I cut on the TV and put my feet up on the coffee table. It was actually a great relief to finally talk out our problems. So many things had been left unresolved between us for so long.

"You know, I hate the blood bond just as much now as I did that day I was forced into it. I wish it could be broken." I had gotten used to the hum of Eric's emotions in me and had learned to separate his from mine, but I still didn't like it. Eric was passionate. His emotions were too. Everything he felt was so strong. Even if I knew it wasn't me, it was still distracting.

"Have you asked Amelia if she can break it?" Quinn asked settling back into the couch.

"I hadn't thought of that" I exclaimed wide-eyed. I hugged him. I couldn't help it. The prospect was so exciting I couldn't contain it. He was just happy I was touching him.

I sat back again, watching the news on the TV. Quinn left his arm around me, laying it over the back of the couch when I sat back, and I didn't have the heart to tell him not to. That is until a more unpleasant thought occurred to me.

"Quinn," I sighed, "I am not willing to do anything that would make it easier for de Castro to stake claim on me. Even if that means I can't re-start a relationship with you."

"You know I don't want that for you anymore that I want it for myself, right?" he asked, looking at me intently. I nodded. "How about we work on you and me now and worry about him later." I knew I looked skeptical. "Don't worry about him tonight, Sookie. We will figure something out, you and me together, to keep us both out of his grasp."

I liked that he was including me. It gave me hope that he and I were finally beginning a real relationship. We settled into a comfortable silence, watching the evening news.

"By the way, I'm real sorry about Crystal" he said after a few minutes, never looking away from the TV.

"Thank you."


	7. Late night visitor

I must have drifted off to sleep for a minute, because by the time I realized the ringing sound was the phone it had already stopped. Maybe two minutes later it started again as I finally regained full consciousness. It took several seconds to get my bearings. As I worked to wake up enough to stand I realized the episode of House I had been watching had ended and some show I didn't recognize was now on TV. I guess I had been asleep longer than I thought. I was leaning on something very warm and soft. Make that someone. Quinn. Last I remembered there was at least a foot of space between us, but somehow I had ended up much closer with my head on his shoulder, leaning against his side, as his head rested on top of mine. From his slow, deep breathing I gathered the phone hadn't woken him yet.

I had tried calling Tray and Amelia's cell phones earlier in the night, but neither answered. I suspected they were 'busy.' I had also tried calling Sam, Alcide, and even Eric though I didn't wait for his phone to go to voicemail. Although I did agree to try and work things out with Quinn, he staying in my home made it difficult for me to ignore the physical attraction between us so we could actually work out our issues. I told him so when he looked offended that I would try and find someone else to stay. In the end though, I gave up, assuring Quinn I would try again in the morning, though he seemed all too happy to stay. Since then we had been watching TV in the living room.

The phone stopped ringing before I could stand. I relaxed again, waiting to hear if whoever it was left a message, though I didn't think it rang long enough for the answering machine to get it. They didn't call back so I decided it was too late and I was too tired to return a call.

I grabbed the remote and found some vampire reality show I found mildly interesting. I watched ten minutes or so that was left of the show then decided I was ready for bed. I as trying to rearrange Quinn slowly so I didn't wake him when I got up, leaning his head against the back of the couch so he didn't fall sideways when I stood. A loud knock pounded on the door.

I stood up, moving to get past Quinn's long legs but he stopped me, putting his large body directly in my path. He had gone from dead asleep to wide awake in less than a second.

_Let me get it _he thought at me. I rolled my eyes at him knowing no one that wished me ill will would knock, but he moved immediately to the door. He was much faster than me, so by the time I made it to the door behind him he had the door unlocked and opened. I remembered all over again that this was a man who took his role as protector very seriously.

"Eric" he said with some irritation, though his still voice sounded heavy with sleep.

"Quinn," Eric growled. They stood there staring at each other for a minute (at least that's what I think they were doing, Quinn was blocking the entire doorway, so I couldn't be sure) before Eric broke the silence. "I came to speak with Sookie."

"Hi, Eric," I called from behind Quinn. Quinn moved to the side so I could see Eric, but would not move away from the door completely.

"Lover, may we speak in private?" Eric asked giving Quinn an angry look.

I nodded and moved to walk out the door but Quinn grabbed my arm in warning.

"It's fine, Quinn" I said looking him in the eye. "I'm not leaving the porch and Eric won't let anything happen to me." I could tell he didn't like the idea, but rather than argue, gave me a stiff nod and removed his hand. I stepped out of the front door and the cold of the January air hit me immediately. I had been so warm next to Quinn that the shock of the night air had me shivering almost immediately. I closed the door behind me, giving Quinn what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I noticed I missed your call and tried calling you back" Eric started without preamble. "You did not answer so I flew here to check on you. Did you call just to rub it in that you and the tiger are back together, or was there something you actually needed" he said bitterly, but his eyes showed just a shadow of hurt.

"No Eric," I sighed. "It seems I have some fairy troubles. Claudine is insistent that I have a bodyguard until things calm down. I think she is still a little unhappy about the Were war, and doesn't want me getting into any more trouble; especially now that I killed one of the enemy in my yard today. Quinn got here just before she did and volunteered, but I was calling to see if you could send someone instead."

Eric moved to speak several times, and several reactions showed on his face, but he stopped himself each time until he finally asked "You do not want Quinn back?"

I thought of how to answer that for several seconds.

"I don't know yet" I finally said. It was the most honest answer I could come up with. He nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. I yawned, still tired from the nap I just had.

"I cannot send a vampire from my area if you and the tiger are trying to reconcile" he explained. "Victor is watching me and will not allow anything he believes is an attempt to interfere. Sending someone to guard your home will certainly be perceived as interfering." I nodded my understanding, but then a question occurred to me.

"So what will happen if he finds out you came here?"

"I will be punished" he said simply. "You should call Alcide, he owes you for bringing you into his war. And you are a friend of the pack."

"I did. He didn't answer." Eric nodded thoughtfully.

"Quinn will protect you until you find someone." Even if they had their differences, the certainty in Eric's voice reflected his complete confidence in Quinn's loyalty to me.

"I know."

"I must go before someone notices I'm missing" Eric said. I nodded to him. "Call me if you are in danger" he said walking down the steps. "I will get to you, no matter Victor's commands." He turned and stared at me for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but then he was gone.

I walked back in the house locking the door behind me. Quinn was still standing in the entry, waiting for me.

When I turned away from the door he asked "What did Eric mean 'he owes you for bringing you into his war?' I knew Alcide took over as packmaster, did you help him?" Of course he had heard the whole conversation. I walked back into the living room to turn off the TV.

"I helped him solve Maria-Star's murder. I tried to help negotiations between him and Furnan. Claudine, Sam and I were there for the fight."

"Why would you involve yourself in their fight?"

"A Were tried to kill me around the same time that Maria-Star died. Then another one tried to kill me again. I thought the same person must have arranged all the attacks. And they did. It just wasn't Furnan." He nodded thoughtfully.

"If I had been here you might have been safe." I could see the sadness in his eyes. It was true; they might not have attacked me if he were here. I had wished he were here with me so many times in the weeks between Rhodes and the takeover. I was too tired to think of anything to say, so I just nodded.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, embracing me. "I thought I was keeping you out of danger. But danger seems to find you. And the vampires found you anyway" he sighed. "If I had just called you we might have been together at least." He was holding me tightly, as if he were worried I would get away if he loosened his grip.

"Quinn" I said resting my chin on his chest so I could look at his face. "I never blamed you for not keeping me out of danger, I was just sad you weren't here. I just couldn't- can't" I corrected myself "be with someone who can't make me a priority."

"I had planned on surprising you, you know" he said looking me in the eye. "That's why I didn't call as soon as I left the hospital. I was going to spend a couple days taking care of Frannie and recuperating, then come here to be with you. But she escaped the day after we got to Memphis" he said referring to his mother. "I should have called you on my way to find her."

"Hindsight is always 20/20. Maybe I should have tried to find you. And I shouldn't have been so rash about breaking things off with you. You should have given me some indication that you weren't rejecting me when I didn't hear from you for so long. Maybe you should have had Frannie's friend that got her car to also leave a note" I said pointing out the most logical way to get a message to me without the vampires' knowledge.

"I'm still sorry" he said. We stood like that, him pinning me, immobile against him, my chin against his chest, and his head tucked down to look at me for several seconds. His embrace brought the feelings I had for him months before rushing back to the surface. His body heat warming me, quickly dissipating the shivers I had from being out in the cold.

Slowly he loosened his grip, his hands sliding down to rest on my hips and he began to move in for a kiss. He stopped inches from my face, looking for any sign that I might object. At that moment I couldn't find any reason to stop him. Finally, his lips touched mine, so lightly I couldn't be sure they had actually made contact; then again, a little more firmly. After several tentative pecks he began to move more confidently, opening our mouths and brushing his rough tongue against mine. I lifted my arms, wrapping them around his neck as I changed angles to kiss him more deeply. His kisses were sweet, passionate, but not insistent; he had no expectations that this would go any further. When we finally came up for air we rested our foreheads against each other.

"I need to go to bed" I said. He nodded and let go of me.

"You can stay in that bedroom" I told him pointing to the hall bedroom that had been Octavia's. "Octavia just moved out, and I haven't changed the sheets yet," I apologized "but it's better than the couch." He thanked me, telling me he was going to get his bag.

I went to my bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face. I walked back to the door of my bedroom when I heard him come back in through the kitchen, locking the door behind him.

When he walked around the corner, bag in hand, I told him 'goodnight.'

"Goodnight, Sookie" he said in return.

I drifted off to sleep quickly, smiling into my pillow for the first time in months.


End file.
